Archive for the ‘English’ Category
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
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We can see the results now but the economic slow-down started over a year; we have read about banks in crisis, credit restrictions, freezing of corporate investments, household consumption in freefall, rising unemployment in both industrialized and developing countries.
No doubt all economists agree about the situation being serious, involving wide-reaching reforms of our financial systems and resulting in a recession that will last for months, or even years as it’s becoming evident right now. Across the globe, many freelance Translators (like me!) have been forced to find other sources of income (I’m an In-Company English Trainer in the mornings!) and countless Translation agencies have closed down as a result of the recession.
The Translation world, which is almost entirely dependent on international trade, will obviously put up with the impact of the cost of such a downturn. If companies innovate less, open less branches in a foreign country and trade smaller quantities of products and services with their partners and clients abroad, there will be millions of manuals, corporate letters, advertisements that will no longer need to be translated in such circumstances, only those professionals with a strong will to remain visible in the market will obtain contracts in this diminishing market and stronger competition from colleagues ready to work for less.
I found these tips which might be useful for all of you to consider:
• Have your own web page where you present your profile and reference it carefully on Google
• Take advantage of public or professional websites such as Facebook or LinkedIn and create your profile there
• Remind your old customers that you are willing to serve them and provide satisfactory service. It is much easier to obtain a repeat order from an old satisfied customer than to obtain a new customer.
This will increase the chances of being contacted and will insert you in the global market as our markets are interwoven. We’ll survive
Paulina Torres de Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Barcelona, Bilbao, English, Interpreters, Japanese, Madrid, Sevilla, Spain, Spanish, Translators
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Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
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Days ago I received a notification from a reliable source informing that even though there are respectable translation agencies on the Net there are a few which are unfortunately only fronts intended to deceive Translators and steal their work, and then they resell it getting a 100% profit while the Translators do not get paid. I really don’t know how do they do it, but it is wiser not to get involved with these dark entities. The names of the so-called firms are: ANIRARKANA and IXARASAMA and they appear as if they were operating in France.
We have to be alert in order to avoid bad professional encounters and find out about the dubious “clients” who are on the prowl in our profession. We need to be cautious and establish a business relationship based in honor and trust. One could say that it would be better to cultivate the clients that we have rather than trying to get new ones on a regular basis but this is not feasible most of the time and actually opposes the very nature of our service which is helping out anyone who needs us; we are in the service sector and we have to deal with people. When we are available we are ready to accept new clients and not only those we already know. What to do then?
Before you accept a job please check the agency using, e.g., Hall of Fame and Shame at translatorscafe, BlueBoard at proz, Untrustworthy Translation Agencies at translationdirectory, among others. As a rule of thumb, it is quite risky to accept an assignment from an agency which does not have a website, uses a web based e-mail address or does not answer a phone provided as a contact number although there may be exceptions to this rule.
Paulina Torres de Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Barcelona, Bilbao, Japanese English Spanish interpreter in Spain, Japanese Spanish translator in Spain, Japanese translations, Japanese translators in Spain, Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia. Basque country, Zaragoza
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Thursday, November 13th, 2008
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Of course we like to get things for free, who does not? There is a lot of free material out there, and the internet has created a paradise for those who hunt for free stuff. But to be completely honest, how much of that information do you ever act upon? How many free e-books and articles have you downloaded by now and never taken the decision – or had the time – to read them? Knowledge may be cheap these days but the disappointing fact is that what you do not pay for, you never value either.
So do yourself a favor. Ask only for what you really intend to use. And especially when your education is involved, avoid saving money, on the contrary, pay for it willingly. Realize that education is valuable and comes at a price. Resolve to pay that price and move into the fast track of the self-educated and successful people in our society. If you continually just seek for free stuff, what sort of message are you sending your subconscious mind? Are you affirming your affluence and that you truly value yourself? If you spend money on a book or courses, or take time out for training, doesn’t this send a far more powerful message to your inner mind that you actually think you are worth investing in? If you do not even spend a cent on your own self-improvement, then why on earth would you expect anybody else to care? If it’s financially difficult for you, see how can you make economies elsewhere.
Model yourself on the victorious in our society, and not on those with little talent or success. Make no excuses to break into the positive spiral. You have to be your best! Truly appreciate and nurture the successful Translator in you!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Barcelona, Bilbao, Japanese English Spanish interpreter in Spain, Japanese Spanish translator in Spain, Japanese translations, Japanese translators in Spain, Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia. Basque country, Zaragoza
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Thursday, October 30th, 2008
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Fidelity and transparency have been sought after as the ideal in translation for ages. There is even mention of a French critic in the 17th-century who said that translations, like women, could be either faithful or beautiful, but not both at the same time. Being a female Translator, I completely disagree with that statement as “impossible” is the daily challenge in our profession.
Fidelity refers to the level to which a translation accurately presents the meaning of the source text, without adding to or subtracting from it, without intensifying or weakening any part of the meaning, and otherwise without changing or interfering with it while transparency relates to the point to which a translation appears to a native speaker of the target language to have originally been written in that language, and is consistent with the language’s grammatical, syntactic and idiomatic standards. One translation can be a “faithful translation” and another can be an “idiomatic translation” rendering transparency but the two attributes are not mutually exclusive.
Quality in translation entails high accuracy which refers to fidelity and transparency, proper translation of the terminology and attention to the target audience, considering the linguistic codes (lexicon, morphology, phonology and syntax) of both languages. This process requires thorough knowledge of the grammar, semantics, syntax, idioms, composition, form, voice, and the like of the source language, as well as the cultural contexts of its speakers. Translation is inherently a difficult activity indeed as it must take into account a number of constraints, including context, and writing conventions.
Just our conscious effort to pursue high accuracy, beautifully manifested through fidelity and transparency, will render a translation which will be considered “faithful” to the original text and “useful” to its potential readers even though acceptable translations can be as creative and original as their source texts.
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Bilbao, Japanese interpreter in Spain, Japanese Spanish translator, Japanese translator, Japanese translator in Basque Country, Pamplona, San Sebastian
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Thursday, October 16th, 2008
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Successful people are continually looking for ways to expand their knowledge because they understand that to be updated is a must in order to have the chance to seize new opportunities. They repeatedly invest in the process of self-education. They are always buying and reading books to acquire knowledge and put into practice what they learn. They regularly attend seminars given by experts and are eager to listen to those who have greater experience. We have to learn from them because they have the right attitude.
By contrast, the vast majority of the population is completely different. They hardly read books; they actually prefer to browse magazines and newspapers. When they read a book, it usually is the latest pulp fiction bestseller… I’m not criticizing pulp fiction writers though – everyone has the right to do as they like – but I’m trying to emphasize the fact that if only 15% of the population buys books, it means that 85% of the population don’t read books at all… pity! Of course, these people never go to seminars either (unless their companies pay for it), and they are not interested in buying courses to develop themselves in any way. They say they can’t afford it but astonishingly, they can afford their cigarettes, alcohol, etc. Times are tough but in most cases though, not investing in a book that will help you improve your life style is simply an excuse. Ironically, the people who need to commit to self education are the last people to do it.
You have to weigh the financial cost against the long-term personal cost of not obtaining the knowledge you require. Let’s learn from successful people: Translators cannot afford to be outdated when we want to do well in our fields and achieve all of our goals!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Japanese interpreter in Spain, Japanese Spanish translator, Japanese translator, Japanese translator in Barcelona
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Saturday, October 4th, 2008
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Ambiguity in languages shows how complex verbal communication might be and instead of regarding it as a problem we should perceive it as an element adding value. It occurs when we can understand something in two or more different ways; if it happens in one word is lexical and if it appears in a sentence it is called structural. In the first case, “Note” refers to “a musical note” or to “a short written message”. In the second case, “Steve likes to paint her model standing” (Who is standing? Steve or his model?)
We tend to think that language is a clear way to communicate ideas in a concise manner but when we use the language literally, misunderstandings arise and changes in the meaning occur as well. People can be ambiguous deliberately or not. Ambiguity is in some way a poetic means as human nature tends to find a meaning in every exchange of ideas. A text is given to us and in exchange, we provide our interpretation of it. Our own skills allow us to understand what is presented before us. Most ambiguities are easily solved through our ability to understand them using the context and our experience and knowledge of the world, which by the way, is impossible for a computer as they have comprehensive lists of vocabulary but cannot interpret or translate a meaning just by the reference on the context.
Nevertheless, in Translation we have to handle ambiguity with extreme care as in some cases we must present the information almost literally, i.e., exactly the way it is used and not in the way we interpret it but in other cases we need to be more expressive and less literal in order to be more precise allowing the reader to get the information and understand it.
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: , Japanese interpreter in Madrid, Japanese Spanish English translators in Spain, Japanese technical translator in Bilbao
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008
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In the recent Olympic Games held in Beijing, China there was an official estimate figure of 10,000 Sports Translators to be needed to inform the whole world about the competition and the Olympics related translation business was expected to reach USD 92.2 billion. Not figures yet about the accuracy of this information but it is most probably right now. Obviously the side business is not included in these figures: Beijing was expecting over 500,000 foreign visitors during the sporting event and hotels, local businesses, police, hospitals, and bus and train services were all looking towards hiring staff or volunteers who spoke foreign languages.
In China there are about 300,000 Professional Translators and Interpreters, one-fourth of whom are in Beijing and most of them specialize in English, French, Russian, Korean and Japanese.
And for the first time in Olympic history a private company was contracted for official translation and interpretation services. With linguistic resources from Peking University, a team of 600 Professional Translators of the company were working round-the-clock during the games.
The Olympics Volunteer Program enrolled over 400,000 English-speaking people to combat the influx of foreigners and interestingly enough about 65 per cent of the recruits are women. Also, there were openings in the tour and travel companies in Beijing to work as guides and Interpreters during the Olympics.
The Olympic Games seem to have rejuvenated one and all as age is no bar in language studies. About 100 citizens, over 50 years of age, were attending classes three times a week to brush up on English etiquette and phrases. The elderly Chinese speak Mandarin and it’s difficult for them to learn a foreign language but younger people have eagerly enrolled in different schools, institutes and universities in China, which in turn are offering courses in over 60 foreign languages.
Paulina Torres de Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Japanese Spanish translators, Japanese Technical interpreters, Japanese translators in Spain, Professional translators in Spain and Japan
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Thursday, August 14th, 2008
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Knowing the pros about becoming a freelancer now it is the turn for you to consider the cons as well as everything in this world has intrinsic duality.
Uncertainty By far the biggest factor! It would be great to start operations with a client base which could guarantee regular work for you to get the income needed even though you must be prepared for eventual delays on payments. But if you still do not have enough clients as to take the big step and sweat at the thought of leaving the comfort zone of a monthly salary then it would be wise not to venture on your own yet. There is no sense in putting yourself in a situation where stress will make your life miserable, right?
Lack of employment benefits This factor is important to be considered too as there are certain benefits you will lose. For example, you won’t be getting paid while you are on holiday, and so your earnings should compensate. There are also other benefits that you will no longer be entitled to such as health insurance and retirement benefits (although you can learn to organize your finances so that you put aside a percentage to cover these items)
Marketing yourself To get new clients, people need to know about you, and if you are working for yourself then the only way for this to happen is if you promote yourself. You can go from cold-calling and e-mailing, to online and newspaper advertisements, to attending events where you can distribute your business cards. How you accomplish this will be down to you and the industry you work within, but you have to organize yourself to dedicate considerable time to promote your business but don’t let yourself be put off with this, be proactive and creative!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: , France, Japanese French translator, Japanese interpreter in Europe, Japanese Spanish technical translators, Japanese translator, Japanese translator in Europe, Japanese translators in Spain
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Thursday, August 7th, 2008
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Maybe you are starting in this profession and feel comfortable working in an office as their Translator but believe me sooner than later you are going to feel the need to expand your horizon and consider becoming a freelancer. You have to properly consider several aspects though before deciding whether to take the plunge and go freelance yourself.
Most of the attractive pros of becoming a Freelance Translator are self-evident so let’s consider just a few of them:
Working from home I guess this is the top most feature! No more daily commute to an office, no more traffic jams, no more wasted time, no more stress! The time you save can be used to advance in your current translation task or enjoyed as spare time.
The ability to set your own hours The second top most feature, of course! The ability to choose when to start or stop work is quite appealing but consider this: sometimes you will be required to overlap your hours with those of your clients as you have to be flexible and this means that you will frequently find yourself working overtime, usually more than in the ‘normal’ working world.
The income is all yours Another obvious appeal to freelance work is that the profits that you make are yours to keep. What you earn, you keep it in full except for any required taxes.
More variety and choice in assignments Working on your own means that you can choose over the kind of projects on which your skills are focused – allowing you to develop in areas that you are interested in, and keeping away from tedious jobs you might be assigned to do in a regular job which you would obviously not be able to decline in favor of your personal likes or interests.
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: , France, Japanese French translator, Japanese interpreter in Europe, Japanese Spanish technical translators, Japanese translator, Japanese translator in Europe, Japanese translators in Spain
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Sunday, July 27th, 2008
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Yes! Practice will do the trick! We have ample resources such as dictionaries, books with specialized vocabulary of a particular field (as of medicine or engineering) thesauri, synonyms dictionaries, reference books with detailed terminology, websites, etc., but it is the accumulation of experience in the investigative process, joined to the abilities of expression and comprehension which allow us to work in an organized and methodic manner so that the translated version is as precise as the text on the source language. We are always in search of new information, constantly renovating our knowledge. Of course, to be good in languages is not enough to be a good Translator. It is really important to compose in a clear manner, using the right vocabulary, syntax and style in our mother tongue to be able to offer a reliable translation job besides having the ability to use the latest equipment and word processing software.
To be fascinated with the language is key for a Translator as the more we know, the more we want to learn! Maybe it is natural but I am inclined to think that it develops with our very own need of being efficient. There are Translators who are expert in certain fields and use their command of the language to work in that area. Others love writing and as Translators they get paid for doing so. Some others are intellectually stimulated with the unlimited variety of topics in which to work and greatly enjoy learning along the way (I belong to this group!)
Translators have to find a balance between fidelity in the source text and readability in the target language allowing others to benefit from knowledge by doing our best to be as discreet as possible. If nobody detects our translation efforts… we are doing a great job!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: intérprete japonés, Intérprete japonés en Barcelona, Intérprete japones en España, Intérprete Japonés en Madrid, Traductor japonés, traductor vasco
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Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
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Back when I was a kid I wanted to be an Interpreter. The career was extremely alluring to me but when I learnt that I couldn’t be more that five words behind the speaker I panicked… But loving languages I chose to become a Translator instead. Yes, sure, we should pursue our dreams but at the same time we have to be realistic and admit we cannot force nature… If it is not in us and we get anxious about not being able to excel then it is wise to modify our dreams and learn something else with the same passion we felt for our original dream.
We, Translators, work with written materials in one language and rewrite them in another language. Interpreters deal with the spoken language, they listen words in one language and repeat the same message in another language. They are engaged in real-time interpretation, which is used for conventions, meetings, speeches, etc. There is a common tendency to think Translators interpret, or that Interpreters translate. In fact, the two are very separate jobs requiring different talents: A Translator must be able to write well and be able to express words, phrases, allusions and other nuances between languages on paper (or computers if you want). We have the luxury of time, resources, reference material and the freedom to take a break when needed. Compared to Interpreters, our pressures are relatively limited. An Interpreter, on the other hand, has to be able to translate spoken words in two directions. They do this using no resources or reference material except their knowledge and expertise. An Interpreter is required to find linguistic solutions to problems right there, on the spot. The pressure hence can be quite intense whether they deal with consecutive or simultaneous interpreting, both difficult. I deeply admire them! May God bless Interpreters!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: intérprete japonés, Intérprete japonés en Barcelona, Intérprete japones en España, Intérprete Japonés en Madrid, Traductor japonés, traductor vasco
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Saturday, July 12th, 2008
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We should always aim at rendering the best of our ability so, it is good idea to make sure that we are delivering a good translation. What are the actual criteria to use in order to decide that one translation is good and another is not or that one translation is “better” than another?
We should check the following points first:
Precision: The translation should be accurate, it should represent the text. It should be complete without omissions and correct so that it communicates the same sense, style and genre of the original.
Suitability: Ask yourself if the translation fulfils the purpose for which it was required. You should know to whom it is intended to, who is likely to use the text and how will it be used, e.g., is it about instructions to operate a machine? To re-launch a product? Knowing this will help you to put together a translation that is best suited to its purpose.
Knowledge of area and grammar proficiency: These two are linked. We should have experience on the topic or business area we are working with and the ability to produce a coherent translation aided by a good grasp of grammar.
Filtering: You should avoid filtering the message to match your own perspective. You are transmitting a message not expressing your likes and dislikes. If you do not agree or share the ideas of the original it would be hard for you to be objective so it is advisable to decline the job and pass the work to another Translator.
We know instinctively when we have done a good piece of work although there is still a need for objective criteria to be arrived at. In the meantime, a Translator who observes the above mentioned points will not be far away from excellence.
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Barcelona, Bilbao, Japanese technical translations, Madrid, Quality tran, Quality translators in Japanese, Sevilla, slations in Spanish, Spanish technical translations
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Thursday, July 10th, 2008
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“Would you like to install the new and upgraded Google Toolbar on your browser?” said a message on my computer screen as I was surfing the web a couple of days ago. So out of curiosity, I clicked on a link that prompted me to install it and a few moments later my browser went through a complete transformation. It looked quite appealing, I must confess, and for any avid web surfer such as myself, it seemed pretty useful at first. It actually gave me the impression of a completely enhanced and revamped browser.
For those who haven’t tried it yet or haven’t even heard of it before, this utility includes a variety of new features which are apparently designed to give users access to additional tools right from the browser: from highly effective pop-up blockers, to a spell-checker, to even a button that takes you directly to the Google News page. Everything seems to be just a click away.
But the pretty picture that Google product managers Avni and Aseem try to paint is far from perfect – at least as far as I’m concerned. The problem is that one of these features included in this so-called improved browser, is a page translation tool. This function, as you can imagine, does not take into account any human being in the translation process. It is powered by SYSTRAN, an online software program, which is basically dictionary-based machine translation, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation MT, which performs simple substitution of words in one language for words in another. A fully-automatic translation solely based on dictionary entries.
So please let me rage against this machine since I cannot conceive the idea that a computer program – no matter how “improved” it may be – can accurately decode the meaning of a text or produce a natural translation. Relying exclusively on a software program like this ignores the simple fact that communication in human language is context-embedded. Therefore, I don’t mind if this new Google Toolbar promises the moon. As long as Avni, Aseem and co. can do without “real” translators, I can do without their “personalized and enhanced browser”. I can still surf the web with my old browser as I used to. Is there anything wrong with that?
Clarisa Attademo
www.goihata.com
Tags: Japanese Spanish translators, Japanese Technical interpreters, Japanese translators in Spain, Professional translators in Spain and Japan
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Friday, July 4th, 2008
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Every one of us can take advantage of positive thinking to improve different aspects in our life including, of course, our approach to work. Even when we find ourselves immersed in the frenzy of a stressful situation as, say, when we have a deadline for a translation job and we feel it more and more difficult to produce the results on time, we can help ourselves by changing the mental attitude by admitting into the mind thoughts and words that are conductive to development, expansion and success. This mind-set gives favorable results. A positive mind anticipates joy and a thriving outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.
Not everyone understands or accepts as true the importance of positive thinking. Some consider the subject gibberish, and others laugh at people who believe and accept it. How many people do you know, who think about what the power of positive thinking means? I earnestly wish that you are surrounded by positive – and not negative – thinkers as it is definitely contagious!
It is a matter of attitude. Obviously, confidence in your abilities based on the proper qualifications for the job is the platform where we have to build our career but we have to approach things in a different way, in a positive way, to guarantee our success. By being positive we become more alert and it shows externally: we turn out to be faster as our body language shows the way we feel inside.
Get rid of negative thoughts, words and attitude. Pay no attention to what others might say or think about you, if they notice that you are changing the way you think. Visualize only favorable situations. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. Develop concentration, will power, and self-discipline.
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Japanese Spanish translators, Japanese Technical interpreters, Japanese translators in Spain, Professional translators in Spain and Japan
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Thursday, June 26th, 2008
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Dictionaries tell us that a Freelancer is one who pursues a profession under no long-term contractual commitments to any one employer or company. They are on their own to find work, negotiate the terms and compensation for that work, and deliver the work to the satisfaction of the paying client. Related terms are independent contractor, consultant, and vendor. Most of us in the translation industry enjoy the freedom, independence and absolute command of our business affairs.
It is very important to be true and honest when you play your professional role to stand out from the rest. We must feel and be truly unique and well prepared and on top of it enjoy what we do: that renders great benefits, both professionally and personally. We have qualities or characteristics that distinguish us from our competitors and colleagues and we have very special personal traits that are worth mentioning to boost our reputation in this career.
It is also essential to build online presence and make yourself noticed to reach potential customers requiring your services. You have to be where people can see you so that they become familiar with your name and the way you work. And the very famous “word-of-mouth” marketing, really works: satisfied customers, in a way work as your sales agents, telling partners and aquaintances that your work is excellent value. Thus, you start building a good portfolio as your professional reputation grows.
You must keep up with technology as well; this is a key issue as those who evolve are the ones who survive, especially in this area. Study; keep on learning and researching to be always on top.
Whenever possible try to join a Translator’s Association or Directory in your country or abroad to get exposure and enhance your practice, as you are backed up and get spotlight benefits. Feel confident and pursue your goals of expansion and stability. This is a wonderful profession!
Paulina Torres De Witt
www.goihata.com
Tags: Japanese Spanish translators, Japanese Technical interpreters, Japanese translators in Spain, Professional translators in Spain and Japan
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